Richmond, VA

Richmond City Sheriff's Office

Training Division

Last Updated: 2010-01-08

The overall function of the Training Division is to operate a training program consistent with the needs of the members of the
Richmond City Sheriff's Office (RCSO), conforming to the guidelines established and regulated by the Department of Criminal Justice
Services.

Basic Academies

The Richmond Sheriff's Office conducts on average two academy classes per year. RCSO Basic Academy training consists of, but is not limited to the following proficiencies:

Chemical Agents

Defensive Tactics

Physical Fitness

Firearms Training

Defensive Driver Training

Legal Issues

During the basic academy all students are expected to participate in all training sessions and successfully pass
all written tests.

In-Service Training

The Department of Criminal Justice Services requires deputies to complete 24 hours of in-service training for jailor recertification and 16 hours of in-service training for court/civil process recertification. Each recertification is valid for two calendar years from the date of completion. The Richmond City Sheriff’s Office currently offers online web-based training for these in-service sessions.

In-service training also includes First Aid/CPR/AED, which is mandated for all Richmond City Sheriff's Office employees, and
Virginia Criminal Incident Network (VCIN) re-certification.

Outside Training

Outside training is provided to help sworn and non-sworn employees develop additional skills to heighten job performance and enhance personal development. Agencies which provide specialized training to employees of the RCSO include:

The Virginia Center for Policing Innovation (VCPI) is also a valuable resource for providing specialized training to our staff. VCPI provides training in topics such as Search and Seizure, Interview and Interrogation, Basic Spanish, and Advanced Court Room Security. Most of the courses attended were free of charge.

Firearms Training

Currently deputies are required to undergo annual firearm proficiency testing. The Richmond City Sheriff’s Office has both an indoor and an outdoor range that are used to perform these qualifications.

The Richmond City Sheriff’s Office also has Firearms Training System (F.A.T.S. ). This enhanced training system has a built-in firearms simulator that uses decision-making scenarios and allows deputies to sharpen their marksmanship skills.

The advantage of F.A.T.S. is that it assists deputies in improving their handgun marksmanship skills without having to pay for numerous instructors and costly ammunition. The system graphically displays the movement of the muzzle of a training weapon, which allows the instructor to use computer analysis in identifying performance deficiencies and correct those deficiencies.

The Training Division strives to provide high quality and efficient training programs to facilitate the comprehensive training needs of the Richmond City Sheriff’s Office.